Sunni Waqf Board dismisses Sibal's plea in Ayodhya case

Friday, 08 December, 2017

Senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal found himself on a sticky wicket in the controversy over whether he was representing the the UP Sunni Central Waqf Board when he urged the Supreme Court on Tuesday to adjourn the legal battle over ownership of the 2.77 acre disputed Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi land in Ayodhya till after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Incidentally, it was also the 25th anniversary of the demolition of the structure in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), which is not a party to the case, however, favored deferring the hearing till after the next general elections claiming that the time was not right for the same now. "Do you want to keep the issue unresolved for political gain or loss in the elections?" he asked the Congress. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP seized upon it to say that the former minister made the plea for indefinite postponement as part of a Congress gameplan to thwart resolution of the Ram temple versus Babri Masjid dispute. "Though Kapil Sibal is our lawyer, I personally don't agree with him that the hearing be deferred beyond 2019".

"Why does he have to link a Ram Mandir (temple) with elections?"

The Supreme Court had fixed the next hearing for the long-standing matter for February 8, 2018.

What does he mean, when he says don't hear the matter till 2019 as it will have an impact outside?

"I want to question the Congress Party and explain if it wants the Ram Janmbhoomi matter to be heard at the earliest or not", he asked.

Commenting on his association with Suni Waqf Board, Congress leader and senior lawyer Kapil Sibal clarified that he never represented the board in Supreme Court. "They are trying delay the hearing of the case". "The prime minister should decide if he is giving any direction to the Supreme Court?"

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